PLANTING + CULTURE BlUEberry Site selection Well-drained sandy loam soils are preferred, but INTRODUCTION blueberries will grow on many soil types if good drainage Native throughout most of the eastern United States, is provided. Blueberries will grow more vigorously and blueberries are one of the easiest and most produce more fruit in full sun. Avoid frost pockets – late rewarding fruits the homeowner can grow. The season frosts can damage fruit production in early- bushes require a little effort to establish, but once flowering varieties. rooted are very disease and drought resistant; most fruit their second year. Thanks to recent breeding Soil Preparation and Planting Blueberries require acid soil (pH 4.5-5.5). If you are in programs at the Universities of Florida and Georgia, doubt about the acidity of your soil, take a soil sample to we now have a wide range of varieties to choose the Cooperative Extension Agent in your county for a soil from, making it possible to have delicious test. Blueberries will not grow well in soils with a pH blueberries from early May to late July! We attend above 5.5. Adjust soil acidity as necessary with many blueberry seminars throughout the year so we powdered sulfur and iron sulfate. Do NOT use aluminum are always up on the latest and most practical sulfate, as this material is toxic to blueberries. For individual plants, sulfur a 6 x 6 foot area around the techniques to help you with site evaluation, soil plant. Hedgerows need to be sulfured in a 3 foot wide preparation, correct planting procedures and band down the row. In the area you plan to put maintenance of your blueberry patch! blueberries, it is advisable to till in some form of acidic organic matter like ground rotted pine bark or oak leaves. Dig a planting hole approximately three times the width of the pot and at the same depth as the root ball. Enrich the planting hole with peat moss mixed with soil USES IN LANDSCAPE dug from the hole (50/50 mix). Do NOT use mushroom Anywhere you want a hedge, think of blueberries compost or manure in the planting hole or as mulch. You can make your plants sick and even kill them with first. These durable, low-maintenance shrubs have manure or mushroom compost. Remove the blueberry a unique misty blue cast and are truly beautiful in bush from the pot, gently loosen the root ball and place all seasons. In spring, dainty, bell-like white in the planting hole. To avoid burying too deep, make blooms cover reddish canes. Flowers are followed sure the plant is positioned with the top most roots at the by blue-tinged foliage and huge clusters of soil line. Fill the planting hole with the mix of soil and powder blue fruit. In autumn they make a brilliant peat moss; gently tamp it in. Water thoroughly to settle the roots and eliminate air pockets. Do NOT put fertilize show as they turn from orange to scarlet to fiery in the planting hole. Only apply fertilizer if it is the correct red. If you want a short thick hedge, tetraploids time of year (see Fertilization section below). If desired, grow more slowly and can be sheared. Rabbiteye construct a water basin around the base of the bush varieties make a nice thick hedge anywhere from approximately 36 inches in diameter. Blueberries are 6-20 feet high. Use blueberries to line a driveway very shallowly rooted, like azaleas. Mulch in spring and or walkway or as backdrop hedges. In the garden, fall with approximately 4-6 inches of acid mulch (pine bark, oak leaves). Pull mulch a couple of inches away line a fence with blueberries for luscious fruit that from the trunk for good air circulation. Do NOT mulch doesn’t take much space and is always lovely. with mushroom compost. Spacing for blueberries Choose varieties with different ripening times to depends upon the desired use in the landscape. Bushes spread the fruiting season. Blueberries can also be can be planted individually or in a hedgerow. If planting a trained into fountain-shaped shrubs or small trees. hedgerow, space 5-6 feet apart with rows 10-12 feet Some varieties do well as container plants for a apart. If planting bushes individually, place plants for patio gardener. cross pollination no more than 10 feet apart. Remove all flowers the first year to encourage more growth.

FERTILIZATION WATER The type of fertilizer you choose may be chemical or The first year is a critical time for the establishment of organic. Make sure that the fertilizer contains iron, zinc, a new blueberry bush. Water thoroughly twice a week manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, copper and on light soils and once a week on clay soils. Soak the boron. These minor elements are very important to entire root system deeply – this usually takes 45-60 plants and most soils are low in these elements. minutes. Established bushes should receive at least 1 Application rates vary according to age of plant. See inch of water each week. Because blueberries are chart below: very shallowly rooted, we strongly recommend that Starter Fertilizer & Soil Fertilizer to Maintain irrigation be installed root zone. Soaker hoses can be (Apply at Planting) (Apply Early March, Late May, & Late used in a punch. Water regularly, especially during dry July) periods. Keep an area approximately 4 feet in Espoma Bio-tone® Starter diameter around the bush clear of grass and weeds to Plus Espoma Holly-tone® Mix Peat Moss in Soil minimize for water and nutrients. Mulch this are with Notes: pine bark or leaves. • Follow Instructions on Bag for how much to apply each time.

• Months to Fertilize vary based on your zone. Fertilize 3 times per year. We recommend the 1st fertilization starting after the last Freeze of the winter (Late February/Early March in zone 8) & the last PRUNING Fertilization being no later than August or even June/July in some of Routine pruning of blueberries is unnecessary until the colder zones 7 & below.) plants are 4 years old. During this time, remove dead, • Fertilizing too late in the year in colder climates will promote new damaged or diseased limbs. Cut any leggy growth so growth, which will be subject to freeze damage. the plant will bush up. Make all cuts flush with the limb or the next largest branch. Do not leave stubs. For See our “Planting a Tree Correctly” Guide & Espoma established rabbiteye blueberries, approximately one quarter of the oldest canes are pruned each year to Bio-tone® and Tree-tone® Fact Sheets on our website encourage cane renewal. Three to four year-old canes for more info. have maximum fruit production, declining with age. Blueberries can be lightly topped right after fruit Be careful to spread the fertilizer evenly over the harvest to hold down the height of the plant. All heavy blueberry’s root zone and water it in well. Blueberries form thinning cuts should be made in the dormant season. suckers and the plant expands each year, the amount of fertilizer applied increases each year until the 4th year after planting. In Zones 8-9 fertilize 3 times each year in late February, late May and late July/early August. Never VARIETIES fertilize after August as this will promote new growth late Blueberries require cross pollination. Thus we always in the year which will be subject to freeze damage. If your young blueberry plants aren’t growing, they may be have to plant at least two varieties to ensure good stalled. In that event, supplement your fertilizer with a fruit set. Two groups of blueberries are available. liquid fertilizer for Azalea/Camellias (like Miracid). Treat Rabbiteye blueberries were developed from native rabbiteye blueberries. They grow as shrubs and will them once a week for a month. If they still haven’t grown 6 inches, continue the treatment. Blueberries need to double reach 6-20 feet. Their ripening season is from May to in size the first year in the ground or they will be stunted. July. Tetraploid (Southern Highbush) blueberries are a new development - a cross between Rabbiteye and Northern Highbush blueberries. Everything is different

about them. They are smaller, slower-growing and have thicker, more crinkly leaves. Most important, they INSECT + DISEASE extend the blueberry season by ripening heavy crops Blueberries have few disease or insect problems. at the very start of the blueberry season. Tetraploids Occasionally caterpillars can be a problem and may be require some extra fruit thinning to achieve a balance controlled with products containing Bt (Bacillus between plant size and healthy fruit production. Each thuringiensis). group requires a pollinator from within the group—you must plant at least two varieties of rabbiteye or two varieties of tetraploid. A full list of varieties is available online: www.JustFruitsandExotics.com